


Sharing is Caring

by BotchedExperiment



Series: Parent Trapped AU [3]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Family, Fever, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-03 23:39:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10261628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BotchedExperiment/pseuds/BotchedExperiment
Summary: This wasn't exactly how they wanted to spend time together, but they'd take it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> OR
> 
> The fic in which everyone suffers at least once because the author has no life
> 
> This was proofread in pieces and I also wrote part of it without my glasses, so… I apologize if there are any mistakes, but I am only one near-sighted human

 

"Dad?"

The small voice pulled Robbie from a wonderful sleep. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times at the purple-clad figure in front of him.

"What is it?" He yawned.

"I- I don't feel good."

Robbie turned on his bedside lamp and looked her over. Ella looked alright, but that hardly meant anything and it'd been years since she's woken him in the middle of the night. Something was up.

"What doesn't feel good? Does your tummy hurt?"

She only shrugged.

"Are you gonna throw up?"

She thought for a moment and then shook her head.

He raised an eyebrow. As a father, Robbie had learned that kids couldn't always tell how sick they were. All Ella probably knew was that she didn't feel like herself.

"Just couldn't sleep, huh?"

A nod.

He gave another jaw-cracking yawn and patted his bed, scooting over a little. She climbed in and immediately snuggled against him. She tossed and turned for a while, but it wasn't long before they were both asleep.

Robbie woke to his kid throwing up on herself and realized that it would be a long night.

Robbie swore under his breath and rushed to get the waste bin from under his desk, holding it under her chin just in time for a second bout. She was shaking and crying and he felt helpless, only hugging her and telling her she was okay. Ella never dealt with being sick well, and he couldn't blame her.

It was a long night indeed. A lot of cleaning was involved.

Robbie made a mental note to call the school first thing in the morning and let them know she wouldn't be there. He had a feeling that wasn’t going to be the only call-in that the school was going to get that morning.

"Are you upset that I threw up in your bed?" Ella asked sheepishly as she relaxed back into her nest of pillows and blankets.

Robbie chuckled. "Honey, I've dealt with your puke for nine years. I think I'm used to it by now."

It wasn’t long before she was finally asleep, and not a moment too soon because Robbie could hear birds chirping outside. He decided to get a little sleep himself.

\-----

Glanni found the two fast asleep the next morning, smiling until he saw the bin beside his little niece. The fact that she was in Robbie's bed was unusual enough. She had grown out of sleeping in her dad's bed a long time ago.

Robbie woke to the door creaking, and soon Ella as well. His face, the tired eyes, told Glanni all he needed to know about the night before.

"I was going to make us all a fancy breakfast, but it looks like that'll have to wait."

"Mhm, she was up pretty late last night." Robbie muttered.

"Oh, sugar pea," He cooed, kissing Ella's forehead. "You're not feeling good today?"

Ella responded with a whine, a vulnerable sound she would never make if she was healthy.

He petted her head as she went back cuddling a pillow on her dads bed. He looked at Robbie, who was sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He obviously hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, but that was nothing new.

"She's got a temp." Glanni frowned.

Robbie nodded, sighing as he carefully got out of bed without jostling Ella. "I'm calling the school now."

"Poor thing," Glanni said as he followed Robbie out. He left the door open but exited quietly as his niece was already falling back asleep. "Ugh, I hate it when she's sick!"

Ella was a completely different kid when she wasn't feeling well, and it broke his heart every time. It made him miss her grumpy disposition for once in his life.

Robbie scoffed. "I'm sure she does too."

They went downstairs and Robbie grabbed the phone and started to dial the school's number.

"You should have woken me so I could help with her." Glanni saw how tired his brother was and Robbie wasn’t even trying to hide it.

"No reason for both of us to be up all night," Robbie shrugged before putting the phone to his ear.

Robbie hung up the phone moments later, finding his brother in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.

"I just talked to Sportacus and apparently Stephanie is down with the same thing. Sounds like something's going around." He sat at the counter next to Glanni, groaning and burying his head in his hands. "This is _wonderful._ "

Glanni patted his shoulder. Robbie hated when she was sick too, and since Steph and Sportacus had come into his life, it was one more kid for him to love _and_ worry about.

\-----

Glanni was reluctant to go to work when he found out Sportacus was bringing Stephanie. Robbie all but shoved him out before he could think about it anymore. Someone had to man the shop, even if no one was going to show up.

Sportacus showed up a nervous wreck, Stephanie clinging to his side. She greeted Robbie with a hug before walking right on in and curling up on the couch. It was an indication of how ill she was when she didn’t do her normal excited bouncy stuff that usually happened when they came to visit.

"I'm so sorry about this. I couldn't find anyone else to work, and-" he stuttered to a stop as Robbie squeezed his shoulder.

"She'll be fine."

"I know, I just- just don't like leaving her when she's sick." He ran a shaky hand through his hair and his voice wavered. Robbie could tell he hadn't had a chance to sleep, or even relax at all. "Sorry to ask you to do this. I know you have Ella too."

Robbie wrapped him in a hug, and Sportacus immediately melted in his arms. The hug lingered for a while before their gaze went to Stephanie.

"I'll call you if she gets too rowdy," Robbie joked.

Sportacus chuckled softly. Stephanie was already falling asleep on Robbie's sofa. She was so at home there that she didn't think twice about it.

"So, ah..." He cleared his throat. "She hasn't been sick since early this morning and I'm hoping that the worst is over. Right now I think she just needs some rest. Maybe keep an eye on her fever?"

Sportacus was a worrier through and through when it came to his daughter and Robbie hated seeing him put himself through so much stress. The man didn't rest until he knew everyone was okay.

"It's just a bug," Robbie said steadily. "You worry yourself this much and you're gonna catch it too, you know."

"I know, I know." Sportacus took a deep, calming breath. "She was excited when she found out she was spending the day with you and Ella, though," he said with a smile. "I hope you don't have your work cut out for you."

\-----

The day went better than Robbie could have thought possible. The girls were looking better by the minute, and they seemed to enjoy spending a sick day together while everyone else was stuck at school.

Eventually, they both ended up asleep on the couch with some obscure children's show playing in the background.

Of course, things were going a little too well.

Stephanie shot up from the couch and ran to the bathroom, stumbling and nearly falling over and giving Robbie a heart attack in the process. He ran in when he heard her crying, and stayed with her until her stomach settled again.

"Want to call your dad?" Robbie asked softly. Sometimes it helped Ella feel better to call Robbie at work for a bit when she was sick at home with Glanni.

Stephanie thought for a moment and then shook her head. " 'm tired."

Soon, he carried her back to the couch. Robbie was sure to send Sportacus a text letting him know that she had been sick again but that _she was fine everything was fine don’t worry._ Sportacus would want to know what was going on, but Robbie didn’t want the man to freak out in the middle of work over one little thing.

It was the first time Stephanie had been that sick since they moved into town and Robbie couldn't blame him for being a little overprotective. But Robbie still rolled his eyes when his phone practically vibrated out of his hand.

_"What?_  
_Has she had anything to drink?_  
_To eat?_  
_Is that the first time she's thrown up?"_

Robbie sighed. _"Yes, a little, yes. Relax."_

_"Sorry. I'm worried."_

_"I know."_

\-----

"How is she?" Sportacus rushed past Robbie as soon as he opened the door.

"She threw up once," Robbie closed the door and followed his frantic boyfriend. "But she calmed down and she's just resting now. Her and Ella have had an eventful day of cartoons and naps."

Sportacus stopped in front of the couch at the sight of both of their kids fast asleep under a big blanket from Ella's room.

"And Ella's okay?"

"Yep."

"Did they eat anything?"

"Mhm!" Robbie answered rather proudly. "They both had some soup and crackers. Didn't finish it, but ate more than I thought they would."

Sportacus bounced on his heels, looking around and evaluating the situation, probably making sure there was nothing more to worry about. Finally, he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Robbie."

Robbie smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. "Told you she'd be fine," He said quietly, wrapping his arms around Sportacus and resting his chin on top of the blonde curls. "Ah!" he began to lead Sportacus to the kitchen. "I made pasta for us. And Glanni whenever he gets home."

He watched with a raised eyebrow as Sportacus took two bites and resorted to playing around with the noodles on his plate. Was Robbie that bad of a cook? Whatever. He shrugged and scarfed down a mouthful, fighting to get every stray noodle in his mouth. It was the first real meal Robbie had had all day and he wasn’t going to let one bit go to waste and he kind of thought Sportacus was going to feel the same when he got off work.

"I'm glad the girls are getting better. It must have been some twenty-four hour bug. Crisis averted, right, Sportacus?" No reply so Robbie looked up at him. He noticed the sweat on the man's forehead, the unusually pale skin. Robbie had a bad feeling. "... Sportacus?"

Sportacus sat perfectly still, staring down at his plate and carefully pressing a hand on his stomach. "I really..." He swallowed. "I don't feel so well." he offered Robbie an apologetic look.

Well, God damn it.

"Don't you dare…" but Sportacus had already bolted for the bathroom.

Robbie groaned inwardly.

\-----

Robbie took in the sight of Sportacus, Mr. Healthy himself, in the same situation his own daughter was in the night before. Curled up in bed, bucket next to him, only this seemed to hit him harder than it had hit either of the kids. "Ugh! I kissed you."

Sportacus froze, gears in his mind turning a bit slower than normal as he tried to process what Robbie meant by that, and then he buried his head in his hands.

"Oh no…"

Robbie chuckled despite his impending doom. "Whatever. It was bound to happen anyway!" he decided, throwing his hands in the air. He couldn’t even blame Sportacus if he ended up sick since he had spent the day in a house full of germs.

"I didn’t know that I was- I mean, it came on so quickly and all of a sudden-"

"Please! don’t spoil the surprise! I don’t need to know what I have to look forward to."

Sportacus looked like he was going to respond with something cute and annoying, but ended up lunging for the bucket instead. Robbie rubbed his back, heart breaking a little when Sportacus couldn’t get a breath in between heaves.

"That'd be Glanni," Robbie said quietly when he heard the front door open and close. "Are you gonna be able to keep all of your internal organs _internal_ while I go down and talk to him?"

Sportacus gave a weary smile. "I'll try."

Robbie didn't like the look of him, not at all. He knew Sportacus hadn't had much sleep the last day or two, (if any at all) so no wonder this crashed down on him. His body was more ragged than Robbie's usually was, and that was saying something. He didn't like the idea of Sportacus and Steph going back home when they were sick.

They were already all doomed anyway, so why not keep everyone quarantined in one house?

From the sound of it, the girls were in the process of waking up and telling Glanni all about their uneventful day.

Robbie's concerns must have shown on his face as he descended the stairs, because Glanni immediately frowned when he saw his brother.

"Hey, what's up?"

Robbie pulled him aside and explained the situation, that he wanted to keep Sportacus around and make sure he gets some rest. Robbie didn't like that it was Sportacus being the one who had to be forced to rest this time. That just wasn't right. Sportacus usually knew his limits, but they never crossed his mind when he worried about someone else. The dummy.

Glanni quickly agreed that the two should stick around for the night because Sportacus was probably in no shape to take care of Stephanie when he was sicker than she was.

"Just make sure you take care of yourself, too!" Robbie's brother sing-songed obnoxiously. "Oh, and I went to the store and picked up some ginger ale and stuff. It's a good thing, I guess, since the girls aren't the only ones who need it now."

"Dad's sick too?"

Kids and their ability to hear everything. They were on the other side of the room, for goodness sake! Robbie and Glanni saw both kids peeking over the couch.

"Yeah, kiddo."

"And we're staying here tonight?"

"Exactly how much can you hear over there?" He called with a chuckle.

"We have good ears!" Ella said.

The two started giggling.

"Well they sound a lot better," Glanni said, amused. "Hopefully Sportacus gets well that quickly."

Robbie wouldn't count on it.

\-----

"Okay, open up!" Robbie said, holding out the thermometer.

Sportacus did so, but reluctantly, grumbling as they waited for it to beep. Robbie would have never considered him a grumpy sick person, granted he had just told a very tired Sportacus not to fall asleep until they knew how bad of a fever he was running.

"Don’t give me that look. I got that look from your daughter all day today when I tried to take her temp."

Sportacus rolled his eyes.

The beep offered a relief for them both, Sport falling against the pillows and Robbie taking the thermometer.

"Alright. Let's see the damage, shall w-" He squinted at the numbers on the little screen. "Holy mother of…"

"Is it that bad?"

He dragged a hand down his face with a rather dramatic groan. "It's not… awful," He answered after a while. He sat next to his boyfriend and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, then his neck, feeling the heavy heat rolling off of his skin. "At least with you in bed, I won't have to break out the electric blanket for warmth any time soon."

Sportacus chuckled, but his stomach begged his attention, a hand flying to his mouth as he tried to sit up. Robbie was quick to thrust the bucket forward in time.

"Ugh," Sportacus wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, utterly spent. "How's Stephanie?"

"She's fine. I think Glanni's helping them set up a tent or something in Ella's room." As if on cue, a _floomp_ of a collapsed blanket fort and a chorus of giggling could be heard from the next room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is awful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t going to do this to them all at once but…it's gotta get worse before it gets better? Yeah? Maybe?
> 
> Heavy emphasis on sleep in this chapter because that’s usually the only thing on your mind when you're sick, y'know? Or I was just rly sleepy while I wrote this who's to know really

 

Sportacus always looked so soft when he was asleep. He definitely didn’t look like the big muscle-y guy that he was when he was covered in a mountain of blankets, snuggled up after the long evening he'd had. Robbie was relieved that Sportacus was getting some sleep after stressing himself out so much.

Now, if Robbie himself could get some sleep, that'd be nice.

He crawled into the poorly-constructed blanket fort (Glanni's doing, no doubt) and sat with Ella until she fell asleep. Stephanie had fallen asleep not too long after her father, which was probably a good thing, because Sportacus would have insisted on sitting with her too and only so many people can fit in a blanket fort.

Glanni was in the room somewhere outside of the tent, quietly picking up a few stray toys from the floor that no one would want to step on later.

Robbie carefully pulled himself out and off of the floor, yawning.

Glanni followed him out of the room and closed the door behind them with a soft _click_. "Well I'm ready to sleep forever."

"Agreed."

\-----

Robbie woke to the unmistakable sound of someone being sick not two hours later. He shot out of bed when his groggy mind reminded him that the kids were in the next room, roughly the same place the sound came from. Glanni seemed to have done the same, as they met each other in the hallway where Stephanie had barely made it out of the room before throwing up.

Soon enough, Sportacus joined them in the hallway having been woken by all the comotion, quickly rushing to his daughter's side and helping her to the bathroom before anyone else could. He looked like hell, but the man would need nothing weaker than restraints to keep in him bed while his kid was sick.

Glanni tiredly volunteered to clean up and Robbie helped him out. A while had gone by before Robbie decided to knock on the bathroom door.

"It's open," came the hoarse response.

Sportacus was sitting on the floor, Stephanie fast asleep with her head on his lap. Both of them were looking a little worse for wear.

"Sort of hoped she was getting better," He mumbled, petting her head. The worry in his voice, mixed with layers and layers of exhaustion made for a very concerned Robbie.

"She is, don’t worry. It's not like it's been going on all night."

Sportacus nodded, letting out a shaky breath and rubbing his eyes with a sniff. The fever was obviously getting to him, and it kind of broke Robbie's heart. He wanted to stay and make sure Sportacus was comforted, but other matters required his attention, like Glanni calling his name when Ella started throwing up too.

Glanni had seated Ella on the edge of her bed (which was missing all of its blankets hm wonder where they went) and was holding a bucket in front of her while she was slumped against his side, too tired to cry anymore at that point. Robbie sighed when he felt her forehead.

The universe was playing a dirty trick, Robbie was sure of it.

It was a long night that consisted of trying to get sick kids to rest again. He had a feeling that Stephanie didn’t want to go back to sleep without her dad with her, but Sportacus was still in the bathroom dealing with his own sick stomach and Ella was still throwing up and… Robbie kind of felt like crying out of pure _exhaustion._

None of them has slept and none of them were going to get out of this entirely healthy. Robbie realized he may have jinxed himself as there was an ominous churning in his stomach. Oh no, not now. Not when everything had already gone to hell. He gasped at a particularly nauseating cramp which seemed to pull Glanni's attention from Ella.

Glanni recognized that look almost immediately. "Bathroom, Robbie. Go," He urged in full big brother mode.

Robbie nodded, clamping a hand over his mouth and running for the bathroom to join Sportacus.

What a fun day they had ahead of them.

\-----

"Take it easy, Robbie," Sportacus warned, watching him take a few gulps of water. "You're going to upset your stomach."

Robbie took one more gulp just to spite him and scoffed. "It can't feel any worse than it already does," he said as he closed the bottle and relaxed into bed. Sportacus wrapped an arm around his waist, nuzzling his shoulder. Robbie could feel his fevered breath on his neck and both shivered and savored the heat at once.

"How many hours of sleep have we gotten? Four?" He winced at his voice. Puking had torn it to shreds and left a horrible croak behind, it made him wonder how Sportacus had managed to keep his voice at all.

"At least the girls are still asleep." Hopefully they would be for most of the day. The only healthy person in the house had gone for work (with the promise to come back early) and that left Robbie and Sportacus to handle things.

Sportacus hummed an agreement against his back.

\-----

Robbie made breakfast while he actively ignored the churning in his stomach, and while moving around seemed to aggravate it more, he wanted to make sure the girls ate something. Sportacus sat at the counter watching him and offering tips like Robbie had never fed a sick child before. When he was too dizzy and shaky to even help Robbie poor juice, Sport had been forced to sit down and _stay_ , so offering needless advice was all he was able to do.

"Are you sure you're okay? You didn't look well last night."

Robbie laughed at the understatement. It was amazing - actually - how everything could go downhill so quickly. The kids still seemed to wake up feeling better, while Sportacus and Robbie… didn’t.

"I don't think any of us looked 'well' last night."

Robbie had insisted that he was used to getting sick, that he wasn't feeling as bad as everyone else. If Sportacus knew how bad he really felt, he'd try to _help_ and make himself sicker than he already was and probably spill more juice everywhere in the process.

Soon enough, each girl was nibbling on some toast topped with banana slices (per Sportacus' suggestion). They looked like they really were getting better. Maybe last night really was the worst of it.

"What are you guys gonna eat?" Ella asked between bites.

"Yeah," Stephanie agreed. "Are you going to have toast too?"

Robbie and Sportacus exchanged equally-uneasy expressions at the thought of eating anything.

"We haven't decided yet," Sportacus answered with a smile.

Nothing. The real answer was nothing. They had water and even braved some juice, but neither of them wanted to eat. They knew that they should, but Sportacus' stomach was still wildly sensitive and Robbie knew that his own was going to violently reject anything he'd try to eat.

The girls finished eating and ended up back on the couch together. Sportacus wanted desperately to sit with Stephanie in the living room, but after Robbie had watched him for a while, he knew it would do more good for Sport to go right back to bed and get more sleep.

Sure enough, Sportacus was lunging for the bucket as soon as he got settled into bed. The trip up the stairs must have jostled his stomach and Robbie realized that it hadn't done him any favors either.

\-----

Sportacus wasn't feeling too great. He had thrown up three times in the past hour and it was getting to the point where he was running out of things to throw up. Robbie had stayed at his side the entire time, rubbing his back and offering comforting words when a particular painful bout forced its way out.

"Do you feel like your fever's risen?" Robbie asked shakily. Sport had a feeling that he was suffering from some nausea of his own because watching someone throw up didn’t do a healthy person good, let alone… him.

"I'm not sure." Sportacus felt an awful lot of things at the moment, he hadn't realized how much he was shivering, hadn't taken the time to notice. However, he had taken to time to notice Robbie shaking like a leaf. "I think yours has, though."

The comment caught Robbie off guard. He stopped, staring at Sportacus before decidedly ignoring it. Robbie pressed the back of his hand to Sport's cheek and immediately dropped it with a frustrated sigh. "We need the thermometer. I can't tell anymore." He was wavering dangerously as he hovered over the bed and Sportacus knew he wouldn’t exactly be able to catch or carry Robbie if he passed out.

"Robbie…"

"Maybe you can keep down some medicine later…"

"Robbie."

"What?" Robbie breathed out.

"You need to lie down," He said with as much seriousness as his sore voice could muster. "Please."

His eyes darted around in hesitation before Robbie finally seemed to realize how awful he felt. Slowly, he sat on the bed and dragged a hand down his face. Sportacus reached forward and squeezed Robbie's hand.

Whether he would admit it or not, Sportacus and Stephanie staying there had obviously stressed him out to no end and Sport felt so guilty for putting Robbie through this when he was sick as well. He was running himself ragged when what he really needed to do was relax.

Anyone who saw him would know that Robbie's body was crying out for rest - anyone but Robbie, apparently.

He pulled Robbie down onto the bed with him, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in Robbie's neck for cuddling purposes and totally not to force him to stay in bed while Sportacus leeched the man's body heat.

"We'll head home tonight and get out of your hair. I'm sorry that you have had to take care of both Stephanie and I. it's not fair to you or to Glanni."

Robbie shook his head. "I'd rather have to deal with you here than worry about you being alone, okay? Sure, having two sick kids around isn't easy, but the alternative is Stephanie having you, the self-destructive, sleep deprived worrier watching her and no one wants that."

"Hey, now," Sportacus chuckled. "Watch it."

"And don’t worry about Glanni. He's used to being a housekeeper and stuff." Robbie cleared his throat. "… Don’t tell him I said that."

Speaking of Glanni, his return from work came as a mercy to them both. But not at first.

A knock on the door, followed by an, "Are you both alive in there?"

Robbie let out a confirming noise and Glanni let himself in, taking in the sight of both his brother and Sportacus looking utterly _wretched._

"Holy hell you two, are you sure you're still alive?!"

Robbie sighed while Sportacus just curled up further against him with a pitiful groan.

The younger Rotten nearly jumped when his brother's cold hand met his forehead and - as he looked down - his boyfriend's forehead as well. He seemed to be comparing the fevers between the two of them when all he really needed to do was grab the thermometer that Robbie and Sportacus were too tired to get from the bathroom.

Sportacus' eyes widened before he shrunk away from the touch and Robbie smacked Glanni's hand off of the poor guy, and then the hand off of him. Glanni pulled away but barely looked fazed by the hit, instead concern crossed his features and annoyed Robbie further.

"Leave him alone! And Jesus, your hands are cold."

"Why is he so warm? Sportacus, why are you so warm?"

"He's got a fever, Glanni. Why do you think?"

"No no no, he's really hot," Glanni said, waving dismissively at his brother. "Feel his- well, you won't be able to tell. But trust me, he's even warmer than you are."

Robbie looked down at his boyfriend, who was in fact looking more flushed than he had before, and had gotten increasingly lethargic in the past couple of hours.

A gush of worry came crashing over him.

"Glanni, go get the thermometer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glanni's moment is coming soon. who knows what i'll do to him too


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this definitely didn't turn out the way i thought it was going to  
> yeah i don't know what i'm doing but i hope you guys enjoy

Robbie sighed and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You're not okay, Sport. You're burning up," he said in response to Sportacus' weak protests. His temperature wasn’t dangerously high, thank goodness, but it was worrying and definitely enough to make Sportacus feel like crap. He was the one in the house running a fever like that and Robbie would hate to see him get any worse.

Sportacus buried his face in Robbie's neck, shaking his head. "It's fine. I've always run a little hot when I'm sick." He rubbed his forehead against Robbie's shoulder in a weak attempt to fight back a building headache.

"You couldn’t have told me that sooner?" Although, he wasn’t completely convinced that this wasn’t a cause for concern. Sportacus had slept most of the evening already and he still seemed exhausted and miserable.

Sportacus turned away from him and wrapped an arm around his aching stomach, groaning. "Robbie, I'm going to be sick."

"Again?"

Sportacus nodded guiltily and Robbie wasted no time grabbing the bin that had suffered quite a bit the last couple of days. He watched with concern as Sportacus retched violently, and yet nothing but stomach acid came up.

The breathless heaves began to die down and that was when they both realized that they were going to have to eat something eventually.

Maybe tomorrow.

\-----

The next morning came and Ella padded into the room with a yawn.

Robbie had been awake for a bit while Sportacus slept soundly next to him after a night of awful stomach aches. He tried to get the guy to take something for his headache and chills, but Sportacus refused and argued that it wouldn’t stay down. He was probably right, if Robbie was honest.

"Hey kid," Robbie wrapped an arm around her as she climbed in next to him and leaned into his side. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, but Uncle Glanni's sick."

Robbie groaned. Fantastic. "Where is he?"

"Bathroom. He told me not to tell you, so I did," She said rather smugly. "How are _you_ feeling?"

That was a very good question. "Not as bad as I was yesterday," he answered honestly. His stomach seemed to have settled a little and he didn’t feel as achy. He nudged her so he could get out of bed and go see what his brother had done to himself. A sick Glanni was a troublesome Glanni.

"I'm gonna go make sure your uncle's still alive," He mumbled, squeezing her shoulder as he passed her. "Go get yourself some breakfast, okay?" Ella nodded and followed him out to the hallway. He quietly closed the door behind him and stopped her before she got to the stairs. "Hey, how's Stephanie? Did both of you sleep good last night?"

"Yeah, but she's still asleep. I wasn’t tired anymore."

"No more tummy aches?"

Ella shook her head proudly. "Nope! Now it's just you guys! Good luck."

He scoffed, feigning offense. "Thanks for the concern! I took care of you! A little more sympathy please?" He joked, ruffling her hair.

"Naw, that's just your job. You're _supposed_ to take care of us." She smirked before going downstairs for breakfast.

Us. _Us?_   Exactly which 'us' was she referring to? Glanni? Stephanie? Sportacus? Or maybe, all of them. Whatever.

Robbie decided not to think about it and headed down the hall to the bathroom.

He knocked. "How're you doing, Glanni?"

A groan.

"That good, huh?" He chuckled but then winced at the sudden sound of retching on the other side of the door that sent a pang of nausea through his own stomach. "Want me to come in?"

Robbie didn’t take the silence as a 'no', so he let himself in and found Glanni bent over the toilet. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead and he looked even more pale than he usually did. Robbie grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the sink before dabbing his brother's forehead and neck.

"Ugh. This is it. This is how I die," Glanni mumbled hoarsely, gripping the toilet for dear life as another heave tore through him. "It's the end for me, little brother."

"Oh, stop it. You have the same thing the rest of us do."

Glanni only whimpered and wrapped an arm around his aching belly. Robbie decided to take pity on him and knelt down, allowing his older brother to lean against him as the nausea passed.

"That girl is a tattletale, you know."

He smirked. "Yup."

They stayed on the floor of the bathroom for a while, holding the damp cloth to his forehead before Glanni's stomach seemed to settle. Robbie flushed the toilet and carefully helped his brother to his feet.

"Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Glanni swayed and leaned heavily on his brother as they made it down the hall.

His bedroom was cluttered beyond belief and Robbie always hated looking at it. Ever since they were kids, Glanni was the pack rat with clothes allover his floor and who knew what else underneath that top layer. He took careful steps and tried to keep his focus off of the mess as he led Glanni back to bed.

Glanni sank into his bed with a sigh while Robbie made sure to put a waste bin next to him.

"Get some rest, okay?"

He hadn't even thought about it, but Glanni probably had almost as little sleep as he and Sportacus had. Robbie's brother had spent the past couple of days taking care of everyone with no complaints and he couldn’t help but feel an intense appreciation for him. Ew. Glanni would never hear about that.

"This is awful," Glanni groaned.

"You make it sound like you're dying," Robbie laughed, patting Glanni's back as he curled up with a pillow against his stomach.

"I think I'd rather be dying. Then at least I would have something to look forward to."

"You'll be fine." Robbie stood up and cleared a path for himself in the mess of a room. "Text me if you need anything instead of trying to getting out of bed. Hell, you'd probably just trip over this crap and-"

"Okay, okay, get out of here, _mom_ ," Glanni muttered, and then added, "You get some rest too."

\-----

Robbie was in the process of putting soup on the stove, watching the girls at the kitchen table as they had decided to get out paint supplies and make something artsy before they had to eat. That was when Sportacus came down the stairs, sleepy and blonde curls going every which way.

Stephanie pulled away from the table and went to give her dad a hug and he knelt down and hugged her like his life depended on it. "Are you feeling better?" He asked her with a smile.

Stephanie nodded. "What about you?"

"Ah…" Sportacus chuckled weakly, taking a seat at the counter. "I'm getting there. Where's Glanni?"

"Take a _wild_ guess," Robbie answered as he stirred the soup.

Sportacus frowned. "Oh no..."

"It was bound to happen, really!" The contents of the pan were making his stomach turn and Robbie swallowed hard. He really didn’t feel like eating, and he was sure Sportacus wouldn’t either, but they were both adults and both knew that eating was kind of a necessity.

Once the soup was done, Robbie instructed the girls to put their things away while he cleaned up any paint that made its way onto the table.

"Painting, hm?" Sportacus questioned the girls as the rinsed out their brushes in the sink.

Ella sighed dramatically. "Yeah, dad said we couldn’t play outside today."

Robbie cleared his throat as he set a stack of bowls on the counter. "Well, I figured that they should stay inside and be somewhat _calm_ …"

"Wow, Stephanie listens to you better than she does me!"

"Wha-? Dad, c'mon!"

"I'm kidding! I know you listen to me. Robbie has a point, though. You girls are still getting over this bug and you probably shouldn’t be out in the cold running around."

Robbie caught Sportacus wince and rub at his head as he got down off of the stool.

"Headache?" He asked quietly while he got the kids occupied setting the table.

Sportacus squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, massaging his temple. "Little dizzy. I think I just need to eat something."

"You're in luck, then, because we've got the best canned soup in all of LazyTown," He deadpanned.

The girls were more talkative at lunch than they had been in a while and both their fathers were relieved to see them back to their old selves. Sportacus, however, was quieter than any of them. He swallowed each spoonful uneasily, as if expecting it to turn on him at any minute.

Robbie realized that he hadn't even touched his own bowl. Ugh. He stared at the soup and took in the both appetizing _and_ nauseating smell of food. He took a tentative spoonful and swallowed. Hm, not too bad. He braved another spoonful, and that one wasn’t too bad either.

Sportacus wasn’t enjoying it too much, though.

"Sport…" He cautioned as his boyfriend put down his spoon with an uneasy look.

"I- I'm fine. Just a little queasy." It was an awkward moment, all of them watching as he swallowed down his nausea with a exhale. "I might go lie down on the couch for a bit, if that's okay." He looked at Robbie with obvious guilt for leaving him to do everything, but Robbie would rather he lie down and not help than try to help and end up puking instead.

After dinner, he worked on the dishes and poured the leftover soup in a container to force on Glanni later. When he finished, Ella had gone up to her room to play by herself, something she did often and Stephanie seemed to be the only kid to ever socialize with his daughter who understood Ella liked being alone sometimes.

Speaking of Stephanie, where had the little pink kid gone?

He followed the sound of Sportacus' soft snoring and found he and Stephanie both fast asleep on the couch, Sport's arm wrapped protectively around her while she was snuggled into him. He looked a lot less miserable than he had in a while now that his daughter was healthy again. Maybe the guy would finally get some real rest now that he knew Steph was feeling better.

\-----

Robbie nearly had to drag himself up the stairs, careful not to spill the bowl of soup in his hands. If Glanni was feeling as bad as they all had been, he'd probably send Robbie out with the offending substance before he even got a chance to set the bowl down, but Robbie had to try!

Robbie was tired, that was what he felt most of all. Sure, his stomach still wasn’t in great shape, and his head was hurting a little, but what he wanted most was _sleep_. He couldn’t just go to sleep, though! What if someone needed him? Sportacus and Glanni were pretty sick and he couldn’t leave them to themselves without feeling guilty.

He gave a light knock before letting himself into the dim room. Glanni's room never saw sunlight thanks to his dark curtains, so he kept it darker than his soul no matter what time of day it was so he could sleep undisturbed by the sun.

It was quiet in there. Robbie was starting to think that Glanni was asleep until the lump in the bed shifted.

"I brought soup!"

"Oh _God,_ screw you," Came the miserable response.

Yeah, that was about the reaction he was expecting.

"You'll need to eat something eventually."

Robbie placed the bowl on Glanni's nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed. He pulled back the blanket that covered his brother's head and pressed his hand against Glanni's forehead. He was warm. Either Robbie's own fever was gone or Glanni's was that bad, and he hoped for the former.

The sick man pulled the blanket back over his head and turned away from Robbie. "Ugh, get it out of here. Just the smell is making me feel like-" He shot up and lunged for the bin.

Admittedly, Robbie found himself looking away during the bouts. He might not have thrown up in a while, but it was still a possibility that he didn’t want to deal with.

Robbie scooted the soup a little further away (as if that would help) and rubbed Glanni's back as he heaved and coughed painfully. Eventually, Glanni slumped against his brother.

"You okay?" Wow, what was he asking?

The fight had gone out of him. Any dramatics from before had disappeared and left nothing but a miserable Glanni in its wake.

Glanni merely shook his head, wrapping both arms around his middle, and Robbie stayed with him until he was sure Glanni's stomach was done expelling its contents. 

"I'm gonna go wash this out, so you'd better love me a whole lot for it!" It was a lame attempt at humor. The truth was they Glanni's probably dealt with a sick Robbie more often than the other way around, as Robbie was always getting sick as a kid and rather wanted Glanni to take care of him than their parents.

A weary smile grew on his brother's face, although obscured by the pile of blankets on top of him.

"Feel better, Glanni."

"You too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we're nearing the end. These guys have probably suffered enough


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't even have an excuse for this chapter plz just read it and enjoy
> 
> EDIT: somehow, the unedited version of this was posted (which is confusing since i was editing the original document???) BUT it's been fixed now

Robbie was both proud to see that some of the soup in Glanni's bowl was gone and guilty for inflicting nausea on the guy when he brought it in. Maybe crackers would be a better option next time.

He took the cold soup and dropped the bowl in the sink to be washed later when he wasn’t exhausted, only to see Sportacus coming out of the bathroom with an arm around his stomach.

"Again?" Robbie frowned. "Do you feel _any_ better?" At least it wasn’t a constant thing. Sportacus had probably managed to keep something in his stomach longer than he had before, and that was something, right? He tried to remind himself that this was just a bug and everything was fine, but Robbie still couldn’t help but be worried. The girls had managed to get over it in a couple days, but Sportacus...

Sportacus shrugged. "I think this thing is going to stick around me for a while," He croaked, wrapping his arms around Robbie and shivering, probably just trying to suck away his body heat rather than be affectionate, Robbie thought fondly. "Sorry."

He pressed a kiss in the blonde curls and wrapped him in a hug. "Maybe you should get some more sleep."

"Me?" Sportacus pulled away and stared at him as if he grew a second head. "How about you, Robbie?"

"I-" Yeah, sleep was a thing he needed to do. "Honestly, that sounds _amazing_."

But Sportacus' body had other plans.

\-----

He was cold. Freezing. Miserable.

Sportacus was unable to get warm no matter what. Robbie had piled blankets on top of him as he lay curled up in bed and did everything he could to help him get warm, but the chills weren't just going to give up because of some extra blankets. Every move caused his stomach, his head, his muscles, _something_ to hurt. He was tired of constant aches and the nausea was unrelenting although he had nothing left to bring up.

Robbie shushed him, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. In all of the discomfort he hadn't realized the whimpers that were coming from him. He felt awful for keeping Robbie from getting the sleep _he_ needed to get well again.

He tried to apologize for keeping him up but stuttered to a stop as Robbie wiped away tears Sportacus hadn't even known were there.

"Take something for it, okay? I swear you'll feel so much better. And maybe both of us will be able to sleep."

Sportacus accepted the pills and water Robbie handed him. It was either be achy and feverish all night or risk putting something in his stomach. He hoped the medicine would be worth it because his stomach was too sore to endure any more puking.

Robbie looked up toward the door at the sound of his brother's footsteps. "I'm going to go check on Glanni, okay?"

Sportacus nodded, rubbing at his teary eyes like a kid.

Not a minute after Robbie left, smaller footsteps approached the doorway.

"Dad?" Stephanie said sheepishly, peeking her head in. His heart melted at the utter worry on her face.

He tried to smile. "Hi, Steph. Couldn't sleep?"

She stared at him anxiously, wringing her hands as if trying to think of what to say. She walked up to the bed instead of answering him and leaned down to give him the warmest and most comforting hug Sportacus didn't know he needed.

He held onto her, sniffling. "Thank you, sweetheart," Sportacus said pitifully, kissing her head. This was a state he never wanted Steph to see him in, not since the divorce. In the past year they had gotten used to comforting each other. Still, it wasn't fair for her to worry about him.

Stephanie nodded against his shoulder. "Mhm."

He felt guilt and love rush over him and found himself tearing up once more. Stephanie climbed in next to him, snuggling into him while he shivered. He rubbed at his eyes and nose to make himself less of a sobbing mess but it wasn't going to help much.

"It's okay, dad," She told him in her small, genuine voice that made his heart twist in gratitude. Where had he gotten such a sweet daughter and when was he going to stop tearing up over it? "You'll get better soon."

Sportacus really hoped so.

\-----

Robbie didn’t like when his brother was sick. Glanni was an obnoxious, outrageous man who cooked and cleaned and then disappeared mysteriously on Friday nights, only to return in the morning covered in glitter, or feathers or once, a leather catsuit. (Robbie chose not to ask questions).

So, to see him so miserable and out of it, well, that just wasn’t okay.

"Leave me to die, Robbie." Glanni hugged his stomach, back against the bathroom wall. His voice was horrible and hoarse and made Robbie wince.

"Shut up and put this under your tongue."

Glanni accepted the thermometer, but didn’t do as he was told. He stared at Robbie and seemed to be trying to figure something out.

"What?" Robbie asked with annoyance.

"You don’t look well at all."

"Look who's talking! Now, put the thing in your mouth."

"Have you been resting?"

"Glanni…"

"That's why Sportacus is so sick, you know. Because he was so worked up over everything else that-"

"I'm more worried about your fever right now so for the love of God get the thermometer in your mouth."

Glanni rolled his eyes and complied, but spent the entire time it took for the thermometer to beep staring critically at his younger brother.

Robbie shifted under his gaze, although the discofort could have been because of the way his stomach was turning. It let out an ominous gurgle that caught Glanni's attention. It had felt increasingly worse all day, and maybe Glanni was right about sleeping. Maybe he was making himself worse just by not taking the time to rest, running himself ragged and agitating his body when it was trying to heal.

Glanni went to take out the thermometer to say something smug like "I told you so", but Robbie smacked his hand away from it. He felt a little guilty when Glanni winced. Usually a hit that light wouldn’t faze him, but the fever had probably made his skin feel more sensitive than usual.

"Sorry…" Robbie said awkwardly. "But keep it there. I know how you have trouble keeping your mouth shut, but just try for once."

Another eye roll.

Just as the thing beeped and Glanni pulled it out, Robbie found himself rushing over the toilet and retching. His stomach gave loud complaints as he threw up everything he'd managed to eat that day. When he had a chance, he carefully lowered himself to the floor and sat in front of the toilet, panting and wiping his mouth.

"What was it?" Robbie rasped. He could feel a warm hand on his neck and wanted to shrink away from the extra heat.

"Maybe we should be taking _your_ temperature."

"Glanni," Robbie tried again. "What'd it say?" He wrapped an arm around his middle and turned away from the sickening contents in the toilet, facing his brother instead (which was slightly easier to look at. slightly).

"The thermometer? It wasn’t that bad, okay, just stop worrying for one God damn minute while your stomach turns itself inside out."

That mental image didn’t do much to quell the nausea.

Robbie groaned and wrapped the other arm around himself too, pressing hard into his belly to make the aching stop.

"Come here," Glanni sighed, taking pity on him and patting the tile floor. "Might as well get some rest before I explain to you exactly how much I was right."

He grunted as he dragged himself next to his brother and laid his head on Glanni's shoulder. Robbie could feel the insistent exhaustion weighing on him and he was ready to fall asleep right there, feeling more comfy than he should on the floor of his bathroom.

Robbie whimpered before he could stop himself. He really did feel worse than he had when he woke up that morning. His body was just starting to get better and he just had to go and stress himself out. It occurred to Robbie a little too late that he would have been more help if he took the time to rest a little and get well himself while he took care of everyone else.

"It's okay, just get some sleep. I think you deserve it by now." Glanni wrapped an arm around him. Their body heat together was uncomfortably warm and Glanni was bony as all hell, but he still found himself nodding off. Finally, Robbie fell into a blissful sleep.

\-----

When Sportacus woke the next morning, Stephanie was still cuddled next to him and Robbie was still missing.

He didn’t feel quite as miserable as he had the night before. He was still shivering, but not nearly as severe. His muscles were sore, but they didn’t ache with every tiny movement. The nausea was still present, but he had a feeling it would be the last symptom to go. All in all, he was so relieved to feel even a little better that he could cry.

Stephanie stirred and opened her eyes. She looked around, confused, before remembering where she was.

Sportacus sat up in bed with a yawn and a quick (and much needed) stretch before getting up. He swayed, grabbing onto the bedpost and earning a gasp from his daughter.

"Dad! Be careful!" Stephanie distressed.

He chuckled. "I'm fine, Steph! My legs are just shaky."

Stephanie ventured downstairs at the sound of pouring cereal. He had hoped it was Robbie, but from the sounds of giggling, it was Ella.

So, apparently he had lost his boyfriend.

Sportacus joined the girls downstairs, ignoring the frosted flakes littering the countertop. He was trying to work up the courage to get himself something to eat as well when Robbie came down.

Sportacus rushed to him. "Robbie! What happened to you?" Although, from the looks of him, Sportacus had a feeling Robbie had spent half the night bent over the toilet. He knew that feeling pretty well by now.

"Do I really look that bad?" He asked with a weak laugh. Sportacus was already pulling him over to sit down at the kitchen table.

"Uh huh," Ella said, carefully watching her dad as she chewed her breakfast.

Robbie and Sportacus munched on toast while the girls finished their cereal.

"Can we play outside today?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah," Ella nodded, looking at them both eagerly. "It's not even cold out!"

They exchanged looks before they seemed to silently agree.

"Sure, go ahead. Go get dressed and-" As if the universe were completely against the kids playing outside after being cooped up for days, it began to rain. It started as little drops against the kitchen window and within a couple of minutes, it was a downpour.

"Aww! That’s not fair." Stephanie pouted as she looked outside.

Robbie winced at a sudden crack of thunder. "Looks like it's a movie-watching day, huh?"

\-----

They were about to move to the living room and start their first movie when Glanni descended the stairs looking more like a ghost than a person.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Robbie scolded.

"Don’t mind me," He mumbled tiredly as he opened the fridge, not so much as looking at anyone. "Just getting some water." He opened the bottle but Robbie wasn’t paying attention as he took a gulp. Or when Glanni suddenly went very still and quiet.

"Uncle Glanni, you look like you're gonna throw up…"

That caught Robbie's attention and he looked back up at his brother, who was sweating, breathing uneasily, and definitely about to puke. He'd seen that look enough times.

Glanni looked ready to bolt for the bathroom, but Robbie knew his brother's stomach and that it wouldn't last that long.

"Sink!" He said quickly, and soon Glanni was bent over the kitchen sink relinquishing his stomach contents while the girls awkwardly made their way into the living room.

Robbie and Sportacus both felt unwell at the sight, but Glanni was obviously more miserable at the moment. And looking a little lightheaded. Robbie shot out of his chair - ignoring his own body's protests - and grabbed his brother's arm before Glanni lost his white-knuckled grip on the counter and had a chance to crumble to the floor.

"Come on, Glanni. Someone could have brought you water."

Glanni was too out of it to argue, even as his brother and Sportacus helped him to the living room and all but dropped him in the comfy chair Robbie usually claimed as his and only his. He immediately curled into himself and started to close his eyes before a blanket was even thrown over him.

Robbie decided it'd be best to keep his brother in sight if he was dumb enough to walk around as sick as he was. Well, Robbie was one to talk, but still.

The girls were sitting on the floor and looked rather comfy. Sportacus was in the process of getting comfortable on the sofa. They could start their movies now, but…

"Something's missing."

"What is?" Both girls asked.

" _Well,_ tell you what - I think we can make a blanket fort that surpasses Glanni's flimsy piece-of-crap structure."

"Psh, I'd like to see you try," Came a mumbled response from the man in the orange chair. He didn’t even bother to open his eyes, only giving a proud - if not tired - smirk.

"You heard him, girls," Robbie whispered sneakily. "A challenge." He instructed the girls to go up to Ella's room and demolish their existing tent in favor of making one _BIGGER_ and _BETTER._

It's not long before the structurally-sound fort is set up in front of the TV, and both men are dragged inside by their kids.

"We should get Uncle Glanni to come in, too," Ella said. "He should see how we did by ourselves."

There was a miserable voice from the outside of the tent, "I think I'll stay right here, kiddo."

Stephanie and Robbie immediately clung to Sportacus and his outrageous body heat, while Ella shamelessly clung to Robbie's.

Sportacus squirmed. "Hey! why is everyone trying to smother me?"

"You’re the hottest," Robbie said simply.

He giggled. "Yes, I am."

Everyone - even Glanni - groaned.

\-----

"Robbie, you should probably get your head off of my stomach," Sportacus said. "I- I feel sick."

But Robbie was too comfortable to just move! In fact, he would have been asleep by now had Sportacus not said anything.

"Nope, you're a nice pillow," He mumbled sleepily.

"It's starting to ache." Robbie wasn't awake enough to notice the warning in Sport's voice.

"But you're so warm."

Sportacus didn’t say anything and Robbie thought maybe he'd given up on kicking him off. Soon enough, however, Robbie heard several ominous gurgles in Sportacus' stomach and raised his head. He was awake again.

"Actually, I'm getting off now!"

Sportacus sighed out in relief, "Thank you," before he carefully exited the tent - as to not jostle a sleeping kid - and ran for the bathroom.

He returned looking rather shaky and pale, reclaiming his spot Between Steph and Robbie, nuzzling his boyfriend's shoulder.

They were just beginning their second movie when suddenly the TV switched off. A crack of thunder jolted both girls awake.

"What happened?" Stephanie asked.

Robbie groaned. "I think the power went out."

Sure enough, they could hear angry rain hitting against the windows. He looked to Sportacus for some guidance on how to entertain these bored kids, only to find the man fast asleep. Well, on to the other kid-entertaining expert, then.

"Glanni?" Robbie whispered toward the opening of the fort. "Are you awake?"

"Are you kidding."

"Do you have any ghost stories to share?"

The girls quickly (and quietly) cheered. Sportacus would protest against having scary stories with the kids, but he wasn’t awake, so it was fine. Obviously.

Robbie peeked out of the tent to see his brother with a smile on his face.

Glanni chuckled rather mischievously. "You bet I do."

The four of them spent the afternoon taking turns telling spooky stories and came to an abrupt stop when Sportacus woke from his nap.

"Hm? What's going on?"

"Nothing." They all answered innocently.


End file.
